THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL IN PROMOTING PEACE AND SECURITY IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

Abstract

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was set up as an arm of the United Nations (UN) with the mandate to promote peace and security between countries in the world involved in one type of dispute or war, and the others. However, the UNSC has played a major role in promoting international peace and security under international law, even though it is often criticised for how well it does this. It is important to remember that the international system and the laws it operates under have also had problems. For independent states, the UNSC can only moderate state behaviours but cannot at all times control its operations perfectly, and the national interest of P5, which often reflects in their use of veto power, remains a challenge to the council's efficiency. This research is aimed at exploring the role of the UNSC in peace and security promotion under international law. The study adopted a doctrinal research methodology for interrogating the existing legal structures available for the UNSC to see how well it has played its role under its mandate. Findings from the study revealed both positive and negative strides. For example, the P5 has the power to veto UNSC decisions, which can be problematic. The study concluded that although there have been challenges in some cases, the UNSC has, to a large extent, executed its mandate in the maintenance of international peace and security under the international legal framework available; thus, the argument that the UNSC is completely irrelevant does not hold. The study recommends that major reforms be introduced to ensure effective administration of the Council's functions. These include that international laws guiding the operations of the UNSC should be encouraged not only in letters of the law but also in practice to achieve the main purpose for which it was created.